


Devil Beneath

by MidnightSylph



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angels, Blood and Gore, Character's Name Spelled as Hanji, Confessions, Demons, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Graphic Description, Horror, Humor, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Slow Build, Supernatural Elements, Therapy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:47:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23288017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightSylph/pseuds/MidnightSylph
Summary: Eren Jaeger is plagued by the sights of death whenever he closes his eyes at night. He had given up hope of 'getting better' long ago.Levi Ackerman is a specialized therapist with a few hidden talents of his own, and a mysterious past waiting to be uncovered.When the two meet, whether it be chance or fate, will Eren finally be set free? Will Levi discover a truth he didn't know he'd been searching for? Or, will the pair succumb to the devil beneath?
Relationships: Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir, Levi/Eren Yeager, Marco Bott/Jean Kirstein, Mikasa Ackerman/Annie Leonhart
Comments: 45
Kudos: 98





	1. Inroduction: Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first fic that I'll be posting online, so feedback is appreciated! I'll be editing this myself, so if there are any mistakes, please let me know and I'll fix them as soon as I can! The idea for this story blossomed from a prompt I saw online. 
> 
> WARNINGS: This fic will have graphic descriptions of death, mutilation, decomposition, etc. There WILL be graphic sex scenes as well. 
> 
> This story features horror, supernatural and romantic elements. It will be scary (I hope), but there will be a lot of fluffy moments as well. I tried my best to include as many tags I felt fit, but if I forgot something important, let me know and I will add it!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy and I look forward to hearing your feedback! (:

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Rotting wood surrounded him in a tightly enclosed space. Misshapen pieces of timber were haphazardly nailed to the walls in an attempt to keep the enclosure from collapsing. There was a sliding, barn-like door to his left, and a few small windows placed much too close to the ground. 

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

_‘Where is that coming from?’_ He thought to himself as he scanned the area, searching for the source in the strange, upside down room. 

_‘Was it raining?’_ His ears perked, listening for the sound of water coming down outside. _No._

He reached his hand forward to feel the gravely dirt beneath… No, _above him._ As he tried to extend his hand further, his movements were halted. He noticed rusted chains attached to metal guards on each of his wrists.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

There it was again. At this point, he knew what the source of the dripping was, as he had finally realized that it wasn’t the room that was upside down… It was _him_.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Panic began to set in. His chest tightened. His breathing grew ragged. 

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Mustering the courage, he finally looked down at himself. Crimson seeped from jagged gashes littering his body, leaving dark puddles on the ground… but wait, it wasn't _his_ body. 

_Was it?_

No, it couldn't be. The pain was bearable, almost nonexistent. Surely it wouldn't be if these wounds truly belonged to him, which could only mean one thing. This was another one of his ‘dreams’. The absence of extreme physical pain was the main sign that proved he wasn't the one actually _in_ these situations. 

For as long as he could remember, Eren had been plagued with the sights of death whenever he closed his eyes at night. He called them ‘dreams’ or ‘visions’ as he didn't really have another name for them. 

Sometimes he would see the peaceful passing of someone elderly in their own home. A car accident caused by a couple of drunken teenagers. The suicide of a grieving widower, and so on and so forth.

Other times… times like _these,_ he was much more ill-fated and witnessed a murder. These sights were the most difficult for him to endure and each person's life that was taken, a little piece of him was taken too. He wished he could say these visions were few, but he'd come to learn that they weren't limited to those who resided in his city, therefore the possibilities were endless. 

He'd seen soldiers fight on the battlefield until their last dying breath. Fishermen die at sea, submerged in the cold, blue abyss due to unexpected storms. Adventurers fall from cliffs due to an unfortunate misstep, or being eaten alive by wild animals for accidentally invading their territory _._

I guess you could say that Eren's seen it all. 

As for who this unlucky person was this time around, he had no clue. If the amount of blood that had already left ‘his’ body, and the dark, dingy location were any indication, he wouldn't be finding out their identity for quite some time. 

He was sure he’d see it in the news eventually, but it’s not like it mattered. If he ever did see the person responsible for these heinous crimes, he couldn’t do anything about it. It’s not like he could call the police and say “Hey! I know who killed that person! How? Oh, yeah, I saw it in a dream.” 

Yeah, right. Surely _he’d_ be the one to end up in prison, or a psychiatric ward, if he tried that. The possibilities haven’t stopped him from making a few anonymous tips, though, in attempts to point them in the right direction from time to time. 

Although he'd realized that this wasn’t actually happening to him _,_ he couldn't pull himself away. He never could, so he spent the next few hours _smelling_ the nauseating, rustic scent of blood. 

_Watching_ the blood drain from the deep cuts across their chest, abdomen and arms. 

_Feeling_ life slowly drain from their body. 

Finally, after what felt like hours had passed, the loud beeping of his alarm rang throughout the room, pulling him from his deep sleep. Could it even be called sleep at this point? He no longer woke up feeling refreshed, and he’d avoid it at all costs if he had a choice, but his body betrayed him nightly when the exhaustion became too much.

Throwing the blankets off to the side, Eren managed to drag himself out of bed and made his way to the bathroom adjoined to his bedroom. Tired, bloodshot eyes glanced into the large mirror and took in the appearance before him. 

His cerulean eyes were once one his best features, but now he couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen them bright and full of life. Instead, they were dull and lined with heavy bags below them. 

His chocolate brown hair was messy and stuck down to the side he slept on. He did his best to tame the unruly hair with a brush, but it had a mind of its own. 

His body was in a bit better shape, or at least it appeared to be, and he had the gym to thank for that. He spent a lot of time there, working off the stress and anxiety of the things he witnessed in the night. 

Eren didn’t attend college, as he couldn’t focus or put in the effort needed to succeed with the lack of sleep he got. It would be a waste of money for him to even try, so instead he worked full time as a dog groomer. He loved dogs. Their funny personalities, soft fur and slobbery licks made even the shittiest of days better, and Eren had a lot of those. 

His boss, Hanji Zoe, was a little… eccentric, but they got along very well. She was fun to spend the day with, acting as more of a friend than a boss, so he couldn’t complain. 

He lived in an apartment near the heart of the city Shiganshina. His adoptive sister, Mikasa, lived in the same building with her long term girlfriend, Annie. Although they weren’t blood related, they were together from a young age and grew to be very close over the years. Eren had always wanted a younger sibling, though Mikasa often acted as if _she_ were the older one. 

Mikasa and Annie had a place on the fourth floor, whereas Eren resided on the second. It wasn’t a bad place to live, considering the very reasonable price, and it was the perfect size for a single person. 

He had a little balcony that overlooked the city center where he drank his morning coffee and people watched. 

The kitchen had a small island and was equipped with a dishwasher, a stove and a decent sized fridge perfect for storing multiple leftover pizza boxes, as he didn’t have the energy to cook often. 

To the left of the kitchen, there was a living room that was set up with a couch, a small coffee table and a television that sat on top of a stand which contained assorted DVDS he’d acquired throughout the years. 

Through the living room was the door that led to the bedroom. It was large enough to fit his queen sized bed, a dresser, and still left a decent amount of space for movement, which he used for small morning workouts when he couldn’t make it to the gym. 

After he finished brushing his teeth, Eren threw on a pair of dark denim jeans and an olive t-shirt, finishing getting ready for the day. He slid on his black running shoes and headed out the door towards the bagel shop just down the street. 

-

“Hey, Historia!” Eren greeted as he entered Reiss’ Bagel Shop. Historia usually worked the morning shift, so she was normally the one taking his order. 

“Morning, Eren! The usual today?” Her soft, yet cheerful voice rang back. 

“You know it!” He replied as he stepped up to the counter, pulling some change from his wallet and handing it over. It only took a few minutes for his BLT bagel with extra mayonnaise to be made. He ravenously bit into the delicious food and waved goodbye as he exited the shop, continuing on to his workplace.

About another 10 minute walk, and Eren had arrived at _Hanji The Hairy_ . “Morning, Hanji! I know I say this every day, but you _really_ need to think about changing the name of this place!”

“Eren, my favorite little groomer! I don’t understand what you have against the name! It’s brilliant! I’ve told you before, it’s ‘hairy’ as in ‘hair’ and ‘fairy’ combined because I am the hairy godmother to all of these beautiful little fur babies!” She replied, suddenly appearing in front of him holding a small bundle of curly black and white fur. 

Reaching out to scratch the dog beneath the chin, he let out a chuckle. “Yeah, sure, it’s brilliant. So, who do we have here?” 

“This is Mitzy! She was brought in today for a summer haircut. They were thinking something like a lion cut since this little one is quite the guard dog, so get to work!” Hanji handed the puppy over to Eren and made her way to the front counter to check in the next customer, while Eren took Mitzy to his grooming station in the back. 

About half way through the day, Hanji and Eren were working side by side on their current clients. Eren was washing and trimming a little white Pomeranian, Snowflake, while Hanji was having difficulty trying to wash a very playful German Shepherd. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask, honey buns, have you been sleeping, like, at all? No offence, but you look like shit.” 

He glanced over at her, laughing when Rex, the German Shepherd, flicked his tail, spraying water in her face in the process. He sent a silent thank you towards the dog, promising to give him an extra treat when he left. 

“Thanks, Hanji. Remember when I told you that just because you say ‘no offence’ it doesn’t mean the person won’t take offence? Anyway, I’ve been sleeping no more or less than usual. Last night was just particularly bad.” Eren hadn’t told Hanji the truth about what he saw at night, instead using the cover of sleep paralysis.

The only person he’d told the whole truth to was Mikasa, after she’d told him to stop lying to her every day for two weeks straight. That may seem easy enough to avoid, but not when the _only_ words she said to him for those two weeks were “stop lying to me, Eren”, while they lived in the same household. On top of all that, her glare was truly terrifying.

She was skeptical at first, but seeing the state he was in, and how he was able to give gruesome details of someone's murder before the news released the information, proved to be evidence enough. 

Hanji finished rinsing off Rex and started to dry him, which should have been a much easier task, if the dog wasn’t trying to eat the air from the blow dryer every time she turned it on. 

“You should really think about going to see my friend, as I’ve mentioned before! He’s an excellent therapist that specializes in things such as sleep paralysis. I’m sure he’d be able to help you!”

That may be true, but a therapist wouldn’t help him. No one could. 

“Thanks, Hanji, I’ll think about it.” He wouldn’t. He just wanted to get her off his back. She didn’t look convinced, but dropped the subject nonetheless. 

After he’d finished his work on Snowflake, he said goodbye to Hanji, punched out for the day and made his way back to his apartment, unlocking the main door and stepping into the elevator once he arrived. 

When he reached his floor, he was met by Mikasa waiting at his door. She had her arms crossed and was leaning against the wall, shoulder length black hair falling in front of her face as she idly scrolled through her phone.

“Hey, Mika. What am I in trouble for this time?” He joked, stopping at her side.

She took in his appearance and sighed. “Eren, you look terrible, like walking zombie terrible. You can’t keep going on like this.”

He stuck the key in the lock, turned it and opened the door, gesturing for her to go inside. She stepped in and took a seat on the couch, patting the spot beside her, which he took. 

“Why are you even here? Just to criticize me again?” He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. 

“Hanji called me when you left and said I should check on you. She mentioned you had another bad night and that she’d never seen you look so drained. It’s not just today, Eren. I’ve noticed a decline in you these past few weeks as well. She’s _worried_ about you, and so am I.”

“There’s nothing I can do about it, Mika! If it hasn’t gone away by now, I don’t think it’s ever going to!” The brunette bit back.

Mikasa let out a defeated sigh. “You haven’t tried everything, Eren.”

He stood up quickly and turned to face her. “No! Therapy won’t do _anything,_ Mikasa! This isn’t something mental that I can be coached through or that can be fixed!”

She stood, too, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Eren, you haven’t even tried this. I found a really good therapist who specializes in things that aren’t exactly _normal._ All I’m asking is that you _try._ For me. Please? It hurts me to see you this way.” She pleaded. 

He looked into her eyes, filled with hope and concern for him. He let out a dramatic sigh. “Fine. I’ll _try,_ if it will get the both of you off my back, but I’m telling you it isn’t going to work. Who is this so-called amazing therapist you are forcing me to go see anyway?”

She smiled slightly. “Dr. Levi Ackerman. Your appointment is set for tomorrow at 2 pm, and I’m coming with you so you can’t ditch out!” She disappeared through the door, just narrowly dodging the shoe that was thrown her way.

“Mikasa!” 


	2. Introduction: Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Therapist Levi Ackerman meets his newest patient, Eren Jaeger. How will their first session go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I wasn't expecting to post another update so soon, and I'm sure you weren't prepared either! I had some spare time and thought, why not? We get to meet Levi in this chapter and see things from his point of view. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“Marco, I wasn’t asking how that made  _ Jean  _ feel. I was asking how it made  _ you  _ feel.” Levi said to his current client. Marco was an unbelievably sweet man and often forgot about his  _ own _ feelings due to being so wrapped up in how those around him were feeling. 

Marco fidgeted in his seat and stuttered. “H-how... how I’m feeling?” The freckled boy pulled on his long shirt sleeves, attempting to cover his hands. 

“Yes. It’s great that you’re so caring to those around you, but you can’t forget about yourself. I know that what happened upset you, Marco, and you can talk to me. That’s why you’re here. That’s why  _ I’m  _ here. You can be completely honest with me and nothing you say will ever leave this room, unless  _ you  _ want it to.” 

Through years of experience working as a therapist, and even before he started his career, he had an impeccable ability to read people. Plus, the raven haired man may have also had a little  _ extra  _ help. 

Since Levi could remember, he had been able to see the colors surrounding people. Most had a general color that stuck with them, but its appearance would alter depending on how that person was feeling. After a bit of research, he’d learned that these outlines were called  _ auras.  _ Marco, for example, was surrounded by a blue so light that it almost looked white. When he was feeling sad, it would darken. 

This gift may have had a part to play in Levi’s chosen career path, as well as his secret love of helping others, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t damn good at his job. 

The remaining half an hour of Marco’s session flew by and they made some excellent progress. 

“This was a great step in the right direction, Marco. You should be proud of yourself, and remember to sit down with Jean and discuss  _ one  _ thing that’s been bothering you. You’ll feel a lot better having it out in the open, I promise. I’ll see you next week.” 

“Thank you, Dr. Ackerman.” The freckled brunette waved and shut the door quietly behind him as he left. Levi sighed and opened up a granola bar, taking a large bite. As he chewed, he opened up the file for his next, and newest, client. 

_ Eren Jaeger. 22. Male. Struggling with intense sleep paralysis.  _

Levi humphed. Another brat with sleep paralysis. Easy. He’ll have this worked out in ten sessions, tops. As he finished his last bit of granola bar, a soft knock sounded on the door, followed by one with much more force. 

He stood from his chair and walked over to the door, opening it. Levi was taken aback by what waited for him on the other side. 

_ Darkness. A black abyss.  _ The raven had never encountered someone with such a dark aura, and he had never seen one so large and consuming. It was everywhere, and Levi was having a hard time seeing through it.

Realizing he’d been standing there staring for an awkward length of time, he cleared his throat. 

“I wasn’t aware this was a couples session.” He joked, finally seeing through the darkness and noticing the black haired woman standing beside the man with the harsh aura. Hers was easier to look at, and much nicer, being a rustic orange color tucked neatly around her body. 

“Gross. It’s not. I’m Eren’s sister and I’m just here to make sure he doesn’t bolt and ditch the session.” Her glare was nowhere near as impressive as Levi’s, but he’d give her credit for trying. 

He nodded and opened the door further, gesturing for the man to enter. “Have a seat. Take your pick.” 

There was a black, comfortably sized leather chair angled beside a matching couch. A sleek dark grey coffee table separated the two from Levi’s own chair, which was much the same. It had a matching end table to the right of it, holding his mug of earl grey tea. 

The man chose the chair, and once he was seated the woman took her leave. “I’ll be right outside, Eren!” She warned. 

Levi closed the door and took his seat across from Eren. Now that they were both seated, he studied him further, finally seeing the person past the cloud of darkness as his eyes were more adjusted to it now. 

He was attractive. Levi wasn’t blind, but he was more interested in his aura at the moment. While looking closer, he thought he saw little bursts of a deep sea-green color every now and again, but he couldn’t say for sure. 

“Hello, Eren. My name is Levi Ackerman. You may call me Levi. This might seem strange and awkward right now, but I hope to gain your trust, and I hope to grow to trust you as well. In order for this to work and for me to be able to help you, trust is important, and it has to go both ways. Does that make sense?” 

Eren stared at him for a few seconds before responding. “Yes.”

“Good. Now, why don’t you tell me a bit about why you’re here today.” Levi hummed.

Eren scoffed. “Sleep paralysis, but I’ll tell you like I’ve told my sister, I don’t need therapy.” 

Levi clicked his pen and jotted something down on his notebook.  _ Stubborn brat.  _

“Everyone could use a little therapy. Someone to talk and vent to without judgement. I’ve helped many people deal with and overcome sleep paralysis, Eren. Tell me why you think  _ you, _ in particular, are beyond help.”

The messy haired brunette dug his nails into his palms. “It’s a waste of time. Mine  _ and  _ yours.” 

Levi crossed his left leg over his right. “Why do you think that? You only met me 10 minutes ago.”

“I just know it is.”

“I can assure you this is not a waste of my time. Tell me why you’re so certain that it is. There must be a reason.” Levi pushed. The raven could almost see the black aura growing darker, if that were even possible. 

Suddenly, Eren was on his feet and headed towards the door, but Levi was much quicker. He had his hand on the knob before Eren, who kept his head down and away from Levi’s line of sight. 

“Eren. You haven’t even spent ten minutes with me yet. Why are you so set against giving this a chance? I read in your file that you’ve never been to therapy before, so how are you so sure it won’t work?” He asked softly. 

The brunette met Levi’s silvery-blue eyes, revealing the tears that were threatening to overflow. 

“No one can help me.” He didn’t yell. His tone held no bite. He sounded as if he’d truly given up. 

Underneath all of that, the hopelessness and defeat, Levi could see the fear. Based on everything that had happened in this short period of time, and the strange aura bordering this man, Levi had a feeling that sleep paralysis wasn’t the only thing plaguing Eren. 

Although Eren was surrounded by this darkness, for who knows how long, he hadn’t let it consume him completely. If Levi’s eyes weren’t playing tricks on him and he really  _ had _ seen those small bursts of color, he  _ knew  _ there was something beneath all of that darkness. He just  _ knew. _

He wasn’t sure why, but Levi felt drawn to this man. If there was a chance he could help him, which he felt in his gut that there was, he was going to do _everything_ in his power to do so, and discover the truth. If past experiences were anything to go by, he knew to always trust his instincts.

Levi spoke again in a hushed tone. “I want to help you, and I truly believe that I  _ can.  _ If for some reason I can’t, at least we can say that we tried, but I see something in you, Eren. I don’t believe that you’re a lost cause. Will you let me try? More importantly, will  _ you _ try?” 

He wasn’t sure what it was. The sincerity in his tone and his words? The honesty and faith shown in his eyes? Whatever it was, it got Eren to say these next few words. 

“Okay. I’ll try.” The brunette whispered. 

A small smile appeared on Levi’s face. He glanced down at the shiny black watch adorning his wrist. “We have 45 minutes left. Let’s get started.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading and I really appreciate any feedback! I hope you enjoyed this update and hopefully I'll be seeing you the next one!


	3. Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren's sessions with Levi continue. The 'dreams' take an unexpected turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, all! I'm here with the next update! I really appreciate all of the feedback I've gotten so far, so thank you! 
> 
> WARNING: This chapter contains mentions of potential injury to children (it's nothing crazy, don't worry, but I do need to warn anyhow). If that bothers you, skip the first section until after the '-'. There is also graphic descriptions of blood, gore, etc, towards the end. 
> 
> PLEASE let me know if I forgot to tag something I should have. The last thing I want to do is trigger someone.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

The sound of screeching tires and the scraping of metal echoed around him. Hands were gripping the steering wheel for dear life, knuckles almost pure white at the intensity. It all happened so fast. The black of the night and the lack of street lamps along the road heavily obstructed sight ahead. 

His head turned to check on the sleeping child in the backseat, just for a second.  _ A second.  _ Suddenly, there was the large body of a deer crashing into the windshield, glass shattering from the impact. Shards embedded themselves in the face, neck and chest of the driver. Managing to turn their head towards the back, he saw that the car seat was dislodged and overturned. The sounds of a crying infant could be heard, and then everything went black. 

-

“Then you woke up?” The therapist asked. 

Eren nodded. He watched Levi write in his notebook, studying the therapist further. A few strands of hair slid out of place, falling in front of his eyes, but even so, he always managed to look impeccable. 

He had his inky hair styled in an undercut, which wasn’t too common these days, but it suited him and Eren really couldn’t imagine him with any other style. He was of small stature, but from what he could tell with the way his clothing hugged his body, he was also quite built.

This was their eighth session. They had decided that it would be most effective for Eren to see him at least twice a week, so he’d been going every Tuesday and Friday. 

“I must say, Eren, this isn’t your run of the mill form of sleep paralysis, but don’t you worry, we’ll get to the bottom of it. Do you have any past trauma that this could stem from? Were you in an accident similar to this, or a loved one, perhaps?” Levi inquired, taking a sip from his mug.

“No, I mean, my dad died when I was seventeen, but he had cancer. When he was diagnosed, he was given a year to live, but managed to make it almost four, so we all had time to prepare for it, as much as anyone could.” Eren replied, toying with the hem of his shirt. 

Levi nodded, jotting down the new information. “Were you and your dad close?”

“He was a good father to Mikasa, but him and I were a different story, until his final year. He… I don’t know, neglected me as a child, I guess? He never physically harmed me or anything. He just acted as if I didn’t exist. My mom took his passing really hard, of course, so we took on the role of his caretakers instead of her when things got more difficult.”

Levi hummed. “I’m sure that wasn’t easy on you, but it shows great strength that you were able to do that, for him and for your mother. It’s that strength that makes me believe that you can overcome this too, Eren.”

The younger man brought his eyes up to meet Levi’s as he spoke. He always had this  _ look _ . A look that made Eren feel safe. That made him believe in himself after having lost hope a long time ago. That made him  _ trust _ Levi, even though he’d only known the man for a few weeks now. 

“Say it.” Levi’s voice cut through his thoughts. Eren looked at him with a confused expression. 

“I want you to say it out loud, Eren. “I can overcome this. I am stronger than my fears.”” Levi prompted. 

Eren took a deep breath in. “I-I can overcome this. I am stronger than my fears.” He breathed out. 

Levi nodded, a smile almost appearing on his face. “Excellent. We’ve made some good progress today. See you on Tuesday.” 

Eren grinned and made his way to the door. “Have a good weekend, Levi.”

“You too, kid.”

-

Weeks passed, and Eren continued to go to his sessions with Levi. They talked about everything, whether it be memories from his past, his job, or his sister and her motherly tendencies. He found out that Levi actually knew Hanji. As it turns out, he was the therapist she was trying to get him to meet all along. They may have gone a bit over on their time that day, too busy sharing stories of Hanji’s crazy antics. 

It was now Tuesday, and Eren was in the waiting room flipping through some pop star magazine while Levi finished up with his one o’clock. He’d spoken to a few of Levi’s other clients in the waiting room, specifically a man named Marco, but Eren had nicknamed him Freckled Jesus, as well as a woman named Ymir, who happened to be Historia’s girlfriend. She seemed a bit rough around the edges, but was nice nonetheless. It truly was a small world sometimes.

He also got to know Petra quite a bit since he’d started seeing Levi. She was another therapist that worked in the building and had the office just down from Levi. She was a kind and calming person with the gentlest smile, and very easy to get along with. She specialized in youth and family issues, taking clients mostly under the age of eighteen.

Eren was so wrapped up in this stupid article in the magazine that he didn’t notice Levi had come out of his office, until he was whacked on the shoulder with a rolled up magazine. 

“Earth to Eren! Is whoever the pop princess is banging more important than banging our session today?” Eren laughed and stood up, following Levi into his office. As they got more comfortable with each other, Levi’s sense of humor came through more and more, and although it was quite terrible, he never failed to make Eren laugh. 

Eren really liked the fact that Levi seemed to be himself around him. He didn’t put up this fake, stiff professional facade that he expected a therapist to have, and this made it easier for Eren to attend these sessions. He was opening up to a  _ real  _ person. 

“No, sir.” The brunette teased. 

“Watch it, kid. I’m not  _ that _ old.” Levi shut the door behind them and Eren took his usual seat in the chair across from the raven. 

“How old are you, anyway?” Eren blurted out.

“I’m thirty-one.” 

“Seriously? You look really good for your age.”

Levi eyed him for a moment, a hint of a blush appearing on his cheeks. Grabbing his notebook and pen, the raven cleared his throat and spoke. “So, it’s been a couple of days since I last saw you. How have things been?”

Eren thought back to the events of the last few days. Although still there, his visions have been mild compared to those in the past, and he didn’t feel completely consumed by the images. “Actually, my v-... uh, my sleep paralysis hasn’t been as bad lately.” 

Levi stared at him, a thoughtful expression on his face, and Eren hoped he hadn’t caught his little slip up. He sighed in relief when the raven replied. “That’s wonderful, Eren. See? Maybe talking to someone was the push you needed.”

“Yeah, maybe it was.”

-

_ Chains.  _ They were  _ everywhere _ . Biting into his skin. Rooting him in place. And the  _ heat _ … he felt like he was burning from the inside out. There was nothing to be seen as he was surrounded by darkness. It was as if he fell into a black hole. 

It was eerily quiet, the silence was almost deafening. Every now again a blood curdling scream cut through the stillness, causing him to jump and pull against the chains. He couldn’t pick out a particular pattern for when the screams would sound, as if they were meant to catch him off guard.

Suddenly, bursts of red lit up the shadows around him, illuminating some of the most gruesome sights he’d ever seen. Each burst only lasted about three seconds, but that was three seconds too long. 

Disfigured bodies surrounded him, each in various stages of torture and decomposition. 

To his left, there was a tall, skeletal looking man with rib bones poking through his abdomen, blood seeping through the wounds. It looked as though his hands had been submerged in acid. He held two long sharp blades with those mangled appendages, running them along the tips of his ribs, sharpening them into fine points. 

To his right, he saw a woman who appeared to be laughing maniacally, but no sound could be heard from her as her fingers were clawing viciously at her throat, tearing through the skin and tossing bloody handfuls of tissue in his direction. 

And then he made the mistake of looking  _ up _ . 

Could he even classify this… this  _ thing  _ as human? 

Its eye sockets were empty, deep scratches littering the area as proof that they had been clawed out of place. All of its limbs appeared to have been dislocated and it hung at odd angles from above him, getting closer after each burst of red light. 

Its head was frantically writhing, a smile plastered on its face revealing multiple sets of unnaturally pointed teeth. Its flesh was rotted, dripping off of its body in certain areas. The smell alone was enough to make him retch.

The figures began to close in on him, and he could now hear whispers from all directions, growing angrier and louder, forever etching their words in his mind. 

_ No escape. _

_ You’re mine. _

_ Time is ticking. _

-

A scream ripped from his throat as Eren shot up in bed. Fingernails clawing any and every part of him. Tears were pouring down his face, hot and fast. He needed air. He couldn’t  _ breathe _ . 

Without much thought, he practically jumped out of bed and took off running, barely remembering to close the door to his apartment. 

He didn’t stop when he felt the rain pelt his body.

He didn’t stop when he reached the familiar doors, smashing the lock with a nearby rock in one fluid motion.

He didn’t stop when the alarms started blaring. 

He didn’t stop when he was crouched behind the leather chair, rocking back and forth on his heels.

He  _ couldn’t  _ stop. 

  
After all,  _ time was ticking. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope this chapter was to your liking. I look forward to hearing your thoughts! Until next time! <3


	4. Rescue Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi comes to the rescue of a frightened brunette in the middle of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! I didn't want to make you wait too long after that last update. I mean, I'm not evil. Again, I proof read my own writing, so if you find any errors, please let me know and I will fix them. If I have missed tagging anything, please let me know! I also reallly appreciate hearing all of the feedback from you guys! 
> 
> Enjoy!

Ringing sounded throughout the bedroom, pulling Levi from his peaceful slumber. He glanced at his alarm clock. 

_ 3:46 AM. _

“For fucks sake, who the  _ hell  _ is calling me at three in the fucking morning?!” The grumbling raven reached for his phone, sliding to answer it with as much force as he could muster. 

“You better have a  _ real  _ good reason for calling me at this ungodly hour or I’ll shove my hand so far down your throat you’ll be tasting my SHIT FROM LAST FUCKING WEEK!”

“U-uh, sorry to disturb you, Mr. Ackerman. This is Bertholdt with Trost Alarms. There has been a disturbance at your building downtown. We’ve sent the footage to your phone. Would you like us to send someone?” The man spluttered out. 

With a frustrated sigh, Levi pulled up the footage and waited for it to load. “Of course I want you to fucking send so-” He cut himself off before he could finish the sentence. “No, I’ll handle it. Thank you!” He ended the call before the man had a chance to respond.

_ Eren. _

What was he doing breaking into the building? He continued watching the video. It was hard to make out all of the details in the gritty footage, but something wasn’t right. Eren seemed frantic. He watched about another minute after the young man had made it inside the building to see what he had been running from, but nobody came after him. 

Hopping out of bed, the raven threw on a jacket and a pair of shoes and dashed out the door to his car. His office was only about a ten minute drive from his house. _Five_ minutes, if you take Levi’s speed and the lack of traffic at this time of the night into account.

Within minutes, he was pulling up to the building and racing inside. Everything was pitch black, so he turned on the flashlight app on his phone, searching for the brunette. He noticed that the door to his office was open. He must be in there. Levi always closed his door at the end of the day.

The raven slowly approached, entering the room with caution. “Eren?” He called out softly. “Are you in here?”

A series of whispers caught Levi’s attention, and he turned in the direction he thought he’d heard them from. As he moved closer, he caught sight of something in the corner of his view.  _ Eren.  _

He spied the brunette on the floor, rocking frantically behind his chair, hands gripping his hair. The first thing he noticed was his aura. It was bigger than he’d ever seen it, stretching out unevenly all around him, blacker than the night. When he could finally see past it, he saw that he was soaked from the rain, dressed in only a tank top and boxer shorts. “ _ Jesus _ , Eren, are you alright?” 

No response. Had he even noticed Levi, yet?

Levi switched off the flashlight and pocketed his phone. He held his hands up and moved closer to the man with small, cautionary steps. “Eren?” 

Still nothing. 

The raven now stood in front of him, so close that Eren almost rolled into Levi’s legs with each forward movement. “Eren.”

Again, nothing. The brunette must be in a serious state of shock, but  _ why? _

Taking a deep breath, Levi crouched down to his level and placed his hands on Eren’s shoulders, ceasing his rocking. His head snapped up and his eyes met Levi’s own. The insurmountable fear in those cerulean orbs chilled him to the very core. 

“L-Le-Levi?”

“Fuck, Eren, you’re freezing!” Levi exclaimed, immediately removing his jacket and reaching to place it over the man's shoulders. Before he could secure the jacket around him, Eren crumpled to the floor and broken sobs ripped their way through him. 

For a moment, Levi stared in shock, his chest tightening at the sight of this man so broken. The tears didn’t stop, only growing more intense until Eren was choking and gasping for air. 

Suddenly, Levi was on the floor, too, pulling Eren into his chest and securing his arms tightly around him, acting as his life raft to keep him from drowning. Tanned arms desperately clung to him.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but eventually Eren started to calm down. When he started breathing somewhat normally, Levi slowly separated himself from Eren, but not completely as he didn’t want the man to spiral into a fit again. As he moved back and sat up, he slid his hand down Eren’s arm, stopping to grip his hand in his own. 

A few moments passed, the two of them staring at each other. Levi was the one to break the silence. “How are you feeling?” 

Eren let out a forced laugh, and his voice broke as he spoke. “Like shit.”

The dark haired man nodded. He was responding to him now, so that was good. “Would you like to tell me what happened?”

At his question, Eren’s mind flitted back to what brought him here. He began wildly shaking his head from side to side. 

Levi immediately placed his other hand in tangled, brunette locks, carefully keeping his head still. “Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to say anything right now if you don’t want to.” He assured him. “Would you like me to give you a ride home?”

Again, this threw Eren into a panic. “N-No, I-I can’t, I c-can’t, I-” More sobs escaped, stopping any further words. 

Whatever took place earlier that night had really frightened Eren. In all of their sessions together during the last few months, he’d never once seen him in a state even close to this. 

Levi moved to stand up and a hand shot out, nails digging into his calf. “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere Eren. It’s okay.” The younger nodded and slowly removed his hand, his eyes never leaving the raven’s. 

Levi held eye contact and inched his way towards his desk, pulling open the larger drawer on the bottom, grabbing the blanket he kept there for late nights at the office. He walked back over to Eren and offered him a hand. “Come on, stand up.” 

He helped the boy to his feet, steadying the still shaking man, and led him towards the couch. “Here, lie down.” 

Eren gripped his hand harder. 

“I’ll stay with you, don’t worry, but you’re freezing, Eren. You need to warm up.” 

After thinking it over, he nodded and did as Levi asked, making himself comfortable. Once he was situated, the raven placed the blanket over Eren, making sure it was tucked all around him before seating himself on the floor in front of the couch. 

Cold fingers found his own once again.

-

“ _ Oh my goodness!  _ Levi?” 

The raven awoke to the sound of heels clicking on the wooden floors and the shocked sounds of his coworker.  _ Crap.  _ He must have fallen asleep. Glancing to the side, he let out a sigh of relief to see the brunette was still asleep on the couch. 

He slowly stood up, joints popping and cracking, stiff from the position he fell asleep in on the floor, and hurried out of the room towards Petra. 

“Levi! T-the door! What happened?! Are you-” She paused, taking in his appearance. “Are you wearing pyjamas?” 

He glanced down, having forgotten that in his haste to get here, and the events that transpired, he was still wearing his black, silk pyjama set with white paw prints all over them. 

“Shh, Petra, I’ll explain as much as I can, but for the love of all that is holy and unholy,  _ please  _ be quiet. I don’t want you to wake Eren.” He hushed. 

The strawberry blonde stared at him, perplexed, but nodded. 

He led her to the chairs in the waiting room and explained what happened, telling her what he could without breaking patient confidentiality, and Eren’s trust. 

“Oh, Levi, do you think he’s going to be okay?” Petra asked, voice full of concern. Levi picked at the skin around his fingernails. 

“I hope so, Petra.” 

“I’ll call your patients for today and reschedule. Given the circumstances of last night, I think they’ll understand.” 

The raven nodded. “Thank you, and offer them an extended session for the trouble.” He stood and made his way back into his office, closing the door behind him, pleased to see that the brunette hadn’t been disturbed in his absence. 

Levi took a seat in his chair across from the brunette and took the time to sort out his thoughts and the events of last night, trying to make sense of things. 

The blackness was still surrounding the sleeping man, as any aura should be, and it seemed to be more contained now. It had shrunk back down to a normal size. He could once again see little sparks of sea-green. 

He wasn’t sure what was plaguing Eren, but after seeing the state he was in last night, he knew that it was bigger than he originally thought. Whatever it was, he would get to the bottom of it. 

  
As he looked at the slumbering man in front of him, he knew that Eren needed him, and in that moment, Levi decided that he would do  _ whatever  _ it took to protect him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think? Thank you so much for reading! See you next week!


	5. Hand in Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren spends the day after the incident with Levi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Sorry this chapter is a bit later. It's been a busy week. Hope you all are doing well during this time! 
> 
> This chapter is mainly some humorous and fluffy moments. I hope you enjoy!

The first thing Eren noticed when he regained his senses was the feel of cool leather against his skin. 

Leather? _ Fuck. Right.  _

The events of last night came flooding back to him. The horrifying vision. Fleeing his apartment in the dead of the night. Breaking into Levi’s office. 

_ Levi.  _

Eren’s eyes shot open, catching said man off guard, causing him to jump slightly in his chair. He must have been watching him. 

Eren was first to break the silence. “Levi, I-”

The raven held up a finger and shushed him. “I’m not upset with you, Eren. You don’t need to say anything right now.”

The brunette nodded and sat up, blanket sliding off of him.  _ Oh god,  _ he thought, glancing down at his attire. He groaned and put his face in his hands, peeking through his fingers, embarrassed to be in such a state in front of this man. 

A man who was always so put together. A man who seemed to understand Eren in a way that no one else had. A man who… was wearing paw print pyjamas? A giggle fought its way past Eren’s lips. 

Levi raised a neatly trimmed eyebrow. “What’s so funny?”

“Y-you’re wearing paw print pyjamas!” Eren managed to say through another small fit of laughter.

“Yes, it’s all the rave back in Paris, you uncultured brat.” He responded, flashing his signature smirk. 

A few moments of silence passed, and then Eren shot up from the couch. “Shit! What time is it? I’m probably so late for work and Hanji will-”

“Will do nothing, as I contacted her this morning. Don’t worry, I didn’t tell her much, although I’m sure she’ll be barking up your tree the moment she sees you, nosy fucking four eyes.” Levi cut in, stopping the brunette from panicking. “Now, I’d really like to get out of here.”

Right, they couldn’t stay here forever. Eren nodded, not quite moving yet. He wasn’t ready to go home, and he  _ definitely _ wasn’t ready to face Mikasa, as Hanji had probably spoken with her as well. Levi must have sensed his reluctance. That, or his face had betrayed him.

“Come on, you can spend the day with me, and I’ll drop you off at home later. I’m sure I can find you something that will  _ almost _ cover those freakishly long legs.” He offered. Eren’s eyes lit up at his words, nodding with more enthusiasm this time. 

“Freakish? I’ll have you know that my legs are quite average. You’re just shor-” Eren immediately snapped his mouth shut once he saw the deadly glare appear on the raven’s face.

It was still early, only around 8 am. Luckily, there wouldn’t be too many people around the office quite yet. Levi offered Eren his jacket, and he took it, considering he was barely clothed compared to the older man. 

They managed to make it to Levi’s shiny, black car without having to interact with anyone. The raven opened the passenger door for Eren, and he climbed in, blushing slightly. Once Levi was seated, he started the engine and drove off. 

It was only a short drive and then they were parking at, what Eren assumed was, Levi’s home. 

The house was on the smaller side, with two large windows on either side of the wooden door. It was painted an off white color, with a brick column to the left. There was a little brick pathway leading up to the front door, bordered by some small shrubs and purple flowers. 

The pair exited the vehicle and made their way into the house. It was simply decorated with dark greys, creams and blacks, but it was very much Levi. There was a coat rack hanging to the left with a shelf below for shoes, and a small table to the right, holding a leafy plant and a decorative glass bowl containing multiple keys.

It had an open concept design, with a long, marble island in the kitchen being the only thing separating it from the living room. There was a cozy looking sectional taking up space on the far side of the living room, and a flat screen tv across from it, though judging by the large bookshelf against the back wall, he didn’t think the television got much use. 

There were two doors down the hall, which probably lead to the bathroom and Levi’s bedroom. Eren couldn’t help but notice just how  _ clean  _ everything was, too. 

“The bathroom is the door on the left. Go shower. I’ll find you something to wear and put it outside the door. Towels are in the cupboard under the sink.” The raven instructed. Eren nodded, carefully treading as he wanted to dirty his home as little as possible. He already felt bad enough about causing all of the trouble last night. He didn’t want to ruin Levi’s immaculate home as well. 

Eren closed the door to the bathroom behind him and began removing what little clothing he wore. The room looked like any typical bathroom, with a large clawfoot tub/shower being the only thing to stand out. He spied many different scents of bubble bath and body wash along the ledge behind the tub. So Levi liked bubble baths?  _ Cute.  _

Just as he started the shower, he heard a knock on the door. “Clothes are outside.” 

“Thank you!” He replied, hastily getting in the shower. The warm water felt nice against his cool skin. He grabbed a lavender scented scrub and washed himself thoroughly. No wonder Levi always smelled so good. This stuff was  _ heavenly _ . 

When he deemed himself clean, he turned the water off and hopped out, wrapping himself in a large, fluffy towel. He opened the door and peeked out, grabbing the pile of neatly folded clothes on the floor. 

The t-shirt was big enough to cover his torso comfortably, but the sweat pants fell a little short, stopping a few inches above his ankles. It seems that Levi knew the pants wouldn’t completely cover his legs, as there was a pair of mid-calf length socks in the pile as well. He slid them on, pulling them all the way up. 

Once he was fully dressed, he placed the towel and his old clothes in the nearby hamper before exiting the bathroom. He found Levi in the kitchen, brewing a pot of tea. 

“I hope you like tea.”

Eren nodded. 

“Is earl grey fine?” The raven asked. 

“Yes, thank you.” He replied, taking a seat at the island. 

A moment later, Levi was pouring the liquid into a cup and sliding it over to him. He watched the man walk around the island and come to a stop beside him, chuckling under his breath. Eren’s heart  _ definitely _ didn’t do a little flip at the sound.

“What’s funny?” 

Levi bit his lip as if to suppress a smile, but only half succeeded. “I told you. Freakishly long legs. You look ridiculous.” 

Eren shook his head and the man and laughed as well. “I do look ridiculous, but again, you’re just short, Levi.”

“Watch it, brat.” Levi warned, half a smile still on his face. “Come on, you can find a movie for us to watch while I take a shower.” 

The younger nodded enthusiastically, making his way over to the sectional. Levi handed him a soft blanket that was hanging on the back of the sofa. 

“Don’t pick anything shitty.” He told him before making his way to the bathroom. 

Eren browsed through the movies for a couple of minutes, not finding much of interest. Horror was definitely out, and Levi probably wouldn’t appreciate something too sad or sappy. A romantic comedy, maybe? That seemed like the safest choice to satisfy the both of them.

He heard the door to the bathroom open just as he had decided on a movie. Levi came out wearing an outfit similar to Eren’s. An old t-shirt and a pair of dark sweatpants, although the pants covered  _ too  _ much of Levi’s legs, as he could see the man had rolled them up a few times. 

The man took a seat on the other end of the sectional. “So, what did you decide on?” 

Eren gestured to the screen. “I thought this would be a good compromise.” 

Levi pursed his lips and hit play. “We’ll see.” 

About halfway through the movie, Eren didn’t really know what had happened so far, as he had been too distracted by listening to Levi's laughter throughout it. He tried not to stare, he  _ really  _ did, but he was failing miserably. There was just something about this man that drew him in. 

When the movie had reached its end, Levi turned to face him. “That wasn’t as bad as I was expecting.”

Eren smiled. “You seemed to enjoy it quite a bit.” He could see the older man's face flush slightly. He stared at him for a moment, and then sighed. He owed Levi an explanation for last night, especially since the man had been nothing but kind and understanding the entire time. 

“Levi… I owe you an explanation for last night.” He started.

Levi turned his body so he was facing him more. “Yes, you do, but only when you’re ready, Eren.”

“I may never  _ be _ ready, but you’ve been nothing but nice and non-judgemental through all of this, and you deserve  _ something. _ ”

The raven nodded, waiting for Eren to continue, and he did. He didn’t tell him the  _ whole _ truth, instead informing him that last nights ‘sleep paralysis’ was the worst it’s ever been. He told him bits of what he experienced, no matter how difficult it was for him to relive it. 

Levi stayed silent while he spoke, intently listening, but as he got into the more grueling details, the man moved closer and grasped Eren’s hand in his own in an attempt to comfort him and help him get through what he needed to say. 

“I’m so sorry, Levi, I just had to get out of there. I wasn’t thinking and I just needed to be somewhere  _ safe  _ and that was the first place I thought of so I-” He cut off, holding back tears. 

  
  


“Eren, first off, it’s important for you to understand that I’m not upset with you. What you experienced last night must have been terrifying, and I understand how  _ real  _ sleep paralysis can feel. I am  _ not  _ mad at you, okay?” The raven clarified. 

Eren looked up at him through wet eyelashes and nodded, shock present on his features. 

“Secondly, I’m really glad that you’ve come to trust me so much since we first met. I’m glad that you think of my office as a safe space, because that’s  _ exactly  _ what I want it to be for you. What  _ I _ want to be for you. Can I make a suggestion?” He asked. 

“Of course.” 

Levi reached for his phone and handed it to Eren. “Put your number in.” 

“Don’t you already have my number?” He questioned. 

“In my work phone, yes, but this is my personal cell. Send yourself a text so that you have this number, and if something like last night ever happens again, I want you to call me.  _ Call.  _ Not text. I don’t care what fucking time it is. I want you to know that I’m here for you, and I want to know that you’re  _ safe _ . Can you do that?” 

Looking into Levi’s eyes, he could see no hint of a lie as he spoke, just pure and raw emotion. Exhaling, he answered by squeezing the hand he still held in his own, and was met with the most breathtaking smile he’d ever seen in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like some feelings are starting to come to light, hm? ;) 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts! Until next time. <3


	6. Under Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unwise decisions, growth and realizations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, me again! Back with another update. I really like this chapter and I hope you do too!

Levi drove Eren back to his apartment around 7 o’clock, after cooking him a delicious dinner of roasted potatoes, asparagus, and chicken stuffed with spinach, feta and tomato. He thanked the man for his kindness and promised he’d see him at their next appointment in two days. 

Any thoughts of sleep were erased from his mind the moment he stepped out of Levi’s car and a sense of panic overwhelmed him as he entered his apartment. He walked into his bedroom and took in the mess from the previous night. The blankets were thrown haphazardly around the room, pillows strewn about, and he must have bumped into his desk while in his hysterical state as books and miscellaneous things were scattered on the floor. 

Sighing, he began putting everything back in its place. Once he was finished tidying his bedroom, he went to work on the rest of the house. By the time he finished, it was 10 pm and everything was spotless. He could feel the beginnings of tiredness begin to pull at him, but he wasn’t going to give in.  _ He couldn’t.  _

The brunette spent the rest of the night drinking coffee and playing video games. He managed to stay awake until 5 am until he started realizing just how  _ tired  _ he was. The sun had begun to rise, the soft light peeking in through his windows. Maybe he’d be able to get a couple of hours of sleep now that it was no longer dark. It was worth a shot, so he headed into his room, undressed and climbed into the freshly made bed. 

He had only been asleep for a couple of minutes before he was shooting up in a panic, flashes of the previous vision surfacing in his mind. Eren fisted his hands in his hair and grumbled. It looked like sleep wasn’t an option after all. 

-

The next two days went by slowly, the brunette keeping himself awake by consuming far too much caffeine. He spent a lot of time in the gym, doing light activities to keep himself alert without chancing an injury. Eren tried to sleep a couple of times, he really did, but every time he closed his eyes he saw those _ horrific _ images. 

The thought of calling Levi crossed his mind a couple of times, but he’d always decided against it at the last minute. Yes, the man had given Eren his personal number, but maybe it was just something he said in the moment to make him feel better. The last thing he needed was to bother him, or creep him out, and make it so that Levi no longer wanted to see him. 

He had been able to avoid seeing Hanji at work these last few days, as he had been scheduled with Moblit. Although he didn’t talk much, he was a nice enough guy and good at his job. Normally, Eren would have tried to engage in some mindless chatter, but he appreciated the silence as he barely had enough energy to perform tasks that should be mindless at this point. 

When he wasn’t working, Mikasa tried to stop by a couple of times, but he avoided her with made up excuses as he knew she’d drag him to the nearest hospital or institution the moment she laid eyes on him. 

By some miracle, he had made it through those two days with almost no sleep. No sleep meant that he didn’t have to relive that horrible nightmare from a couple nights prior. It was nearing two in the afternoon now, which meant he was supposed to be at Levi’s office soon. He splashed cold water on his face, combed his hair and threw on some decent clothing, trying to cover his sleep deprived appearance. Once he was ready, he grabbed his keys and headed out for his appointment. 

Eren sat in the waiting room and held a magazine up to his face to avoid having to chat with people, as well as to hide his bloodshot eyes from everyone around. He was only waiting a few minutes before he heard his name. 

“Eren, you can come in now.” Eren shut the magazine and set it down on the table in front of him and stood up, making his way into the office, keeping his eyes down. He sat in his usual spot, waiting for Levi to shut the door and seat himself. When he heard the shuffling of paper and the clicking of a pen, he raised his eyes to look at the raven. 

Pure shock crossed Levi’s face, followed by a look of concern. “ _ Fucking hell! _ What happened? You look like you haven’t slept in days!” 

The brunette sat there and said nothing. 

“Eren, have you slept at  _ all _ since I last saw you?” The older man asked softly. 

Fidgeting with his hands in his lap, Eren shook his head. His heart dropped in his chest a bit at the look of disappointment that showed on Levi’s face. The  _ last _ thing he wanted to do was fail him. 

“I-I couldn’t, Levi. I  _ tried _ , but every time I closed my eyes I-” He choked back a sob, cutting himself off mid sentence. 

“Why didn’t you call me?” 

“I didn’t want to bother you. I caused you enough trouble already.” He answered quietly. 

He watched the man run a hand over his face, exasperated. “For  _ fucks sake _ , Eren! I didn’t give you my number for shits and giggles! I told you to _ call me _ if you needed me. Do you know how unhealthy it is to go without sleep? Especially for 48 fucking hours?!”

Eren blinked in surprise at the outburst. He was taken aback that the man who was normally so stoic and calm had so much as raised his voice at him. Levi took a deep breath and walked over to him. He sat down beside the brunette and reached to gently wipe the tears from his cheeks.  _ Had he been crying?  _ He hadn’t noticed. 

“I’m sorry, Eren. I shouldn’t have spoken to you in that manner. It won’t happen again. Can you forgive me?” 

_ Levi was apologizing to him?  _

“Y-yes. Yes, of course.” Eren responded, voice shaking slightly.

Levi let out a deep breath, looking relieved. “Thank you.” Looking torn, he withdrew his hand from Eren’s cheek, stood up and settled himself in his chair once again. He picked up his notepad, readying himself to jot down more notes. “Now, let's talk about what happened these past two days.”

“Okay… where should I start?” The younger man asked with uncertainty.

“How about you start by telling me what’s kept you from sleeping the last few nights?”

Eren fidgeted with his fingers, casting his eyes downward. “I… I’m scared. Every time I tried to sleep, or even  _ thought  _ about it, those images came flooding back. I  _ can’t _ go through that again, and it seems the only way I can avoid it is to stay awake.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine how terrifying that experience must have been for you, but Eren, you can’t stay awake forever. For one, it’s not healthy for you, and even if you manage to avoid sleep for a couple of days, it’s only a matter of time before your body succumbs to the exhaustion.”

The brunette stood up suddenly, throwing his hands up in the air. “Then what am I supposed to do?!” 

“What’s something that makes you feel safe?” The raven asked.

“You!” Eren yelled in response without missing a beat. A brief look of shock crossed the other’s face, not expecting to hear that answer. Honestly, he hadn’t expected to say that either.  _ Out loud _ , at least. 

“Then use me to help you, Eren! I’m here to help. I told you to call me, day or night, so just fucking do it. If I didn’t want you to, or if I would be bothered by it, I wouldn’t have given you the option. I don’t say shit I don’t mean. You should know this by now.”

The two men were both breathing heavily at this point, staring at one another, a plethora of emotions playing on their faces. Their words hung heavy in the air, almost echoing. After a few moments, Eren was the first to break the silence, knowing that Levi was waiting on him. 

“I know. I almost called you a few times, but I always talked myself out of it. Next time, I won’t second guess myself. I promise.” 

Levi visibly relaxed at hearing his words. “Thank you. I don’t want you hurting yourself. I’m here for you, Eren.” 

He nodded, taking a seat on the couch again. Levi did the same, wrote down a few more notes, and continued on with their session. 

-

A couple of nights had passed since his last session with Levi. By some miracle, he’d managed to get a few nights of sleep with minor dreams, but that might have something to do with the fact that he’d been talking to a certain raven haired therapist on the phone every night. 

They talked about a lot of things. Since Levi already knew quite a bit about Eren’s personal life, he spent his time getting to know the little things about the younger man, such as his favorite foods, his favorite dog breeds... even his favorite brand of  _ toothpaste _ .

With Levi being the therapist, Eren didn’t know a whole lot about the older man, so he used their time spent on the phone getting to know Levi on a deeper level. 

He found out that he was raised by his mother, Kuchel, and his uncle, Kenny, as his father was killed by a drunk driver when he was only three years old. The both of them were still alive and Levi visited them every couple of months.

He found out that Levi had two best friends, Eyebrows and Shitty Glasses, also known as Erwin and Hanji. No matter how many times he claimed to hate the two of them, Eren could hear the affection in his voice when he spoke of them.

He also found out that Levi’s last relationship was four years ago, and that the man cheated on him with his old boss. Without giving it a second thought, he had quit his job, packed up his things and moved to Shiganshina.

And he’d be lying if hearing that Levi was gay didn’t make his heart flutter _ just _ a bit.

He hadn’t been working much during that time, as Hanji had insisted he take a bit more time to himself to rest up, so he’d spent his days at the gym, cleaned his apartment, and he’d also had dinner with Mikasa and Annie one night as well. 

When Thursday rolled around, it was time for Eren to return to work. He would never say it to her face, but he’d actually  _ missed  _ Hanji. When he walked into the doors of the groomers, he was instantly greeted by a loud squeal and a bone crushing hug.

“Eren, my little sugar plum! I’ve missed you! Welcome back, and wow, you look great!” The sleep he’d gotten the last couple of nights  _ had  _ made the bags under his eyes go down a bit, and he did have slightly more energy… Yeah, he  _ did _ look pretty great. 

“Thanks, Hanji.” He responded as he followed her to the grooming stations, beginning their work. 

“Soooo, I guess those sessions with Short Stack have been helping then?” 

Eren laughed at the nickname. “Yeah, they have, actually. Levi is great.”

A light blush dusted his cheeks at the admission, and of course, it didn’t go unnoticed by Hanji. 

“Eren! Do you have a  _ crush _ on Levi?” She asked, bouncing excitedly in place.

He sputtered, eyes widening. “What?! N-no, of course not!” 

She smirked at him, turning to rinse the shampoo out of the dogs fur that she was currently bathing. “Oh really? Then why are you blushing like a virgin school boy, hm, Eren?”

“I’m not! I don’t like him. He’s my therapist. That’s it.” She looked at him with a devilish expression, but didn’t say another word on the subject.

Eren turned his attention back to trimming the hair around a husky’s rear, still feeling flustered from Hanji’s interrogation. He didn’t like Levi. He was _ just _ his therapist. 

_ Right? _

-

After his shift, Eren’s mind was all over the place, filled with thoughts of a certain therapist. 

Thoughts of his mesmerizing silver eyes with hints of blue. 

Thoughts of the little smirk that crossed thin lips whenever he found something amusing. 

Thoughts of how handsome he looked when his dark hair fell across his face whenever he bent over to write down notes. 

Thoughts of how  _ he’d  _ like to be bent over-  _ Oh god. _

_ Fuck. Shit.  _ He  _ liked Levi.  _

He  _ couldn’t  _ like Levi. He was his therapist, for one, but he was also definitely  _ not  _ interested in Eren. 

The brunette sat with his head in his hands, wondering what to do with this newfound realization. 

_ Nothing.  _ He would do  _ nothing.  _

The rest of the day went by in a daze. When night time rolled around, Eren was as restless as ever, and sleep wasn’t even a possibility. Neither was calling Levi. From the hours of 9 pm to 2 am, he just laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. 

It wasn’t until 2:30 am that the edges of the room were engulfed in flames.

It wasn’t until 3 am that clawed hands dug into his flesh along the entire length of his body, holding him in place. 

  
It wasn’t until  _ 5 am _ , when the sun began to rise, that the large, dark figure in the corner of the room that had been watching him all night,  _ disappeared. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I really appreciate your kind words. Leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of this chapter! 
> 
> See you next time <3


	7. Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi makes Eren an offer he can’t refuse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! I just wanted to say thank you to everyone reading and I really appreciate the feedback I’ve gotten so far. I’m glad I’m able to share this journey with you all. 
> 
> With that said, here’s another chapter. Enjoy!

The raven haired therapist was sitting across from Ymir, jotting down notes as she explained her recent problems with her girlfriend, Historia. He thought over her words carefully before he set his pen down and raised his head to look her in the eyes. 

“From what you’ve told me, I can see that Historia cares deeply for you and that she is really trying to accept you and be patient with you, but in my honest opinion, I don’t think  _ you’re  _ trying as much as you should be. Remember, Ymir, small steps are crucial in your healing and development, but in order for them to work, you need to  _ take  _ them.”

Ymir folded her arms and stared him down for a moment before letting them fall and sighing deeply. She knew he was right, but had a hard time admitting it.

“For the rest of the week, I want you to try,  _ really try _ , taking those small steps towards physical affection. The next time you’re watching a movie together, try holding her hand, if even for a few minutes. Every step counts. I believe in you, and you need to believe in yourself, too, okay?” 

The brunette nodded and adjusted her ponytail. “Damn, doc, you really have a way with words, you know that?” He chuckled at her comment and was pleased when she gave him a small smile in return. 

“Alright, time’s up for today. Remember to work on what we talked about and I’ll see you next week.” He closed the door behind her and went over to his desk, preparing his things for his next session with Eren.

When a loud knock sounded, he got up to let the brunette in, and he was a bit shocked by what greeted him on the other side of the door. Eren’s aura looked as it did the night he found him crouched down in his office after the traumatic incident. He held his tongue, waiting for them to get settled. He could tell that, once again, he hadn’t slept in who knows how long.

“Hello, Eren. How have things been since we saw each other last?”

He wasn’t sure what triggered it, but almost immediately, tears started streaming down Eren’s face. His body moved on it’s own accord, and next thing he knew, he was knelt down in front of the younger man, pulling him into an embrace. Hands gripped Levi’s shoulders, holding him close, taking comfort in his arms.

“Shh, Eren. What’s going on?”

Eren shook his head, pulling away from him slightly. “I-I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“Hey, no, it’s fine. What’s wrong? Are you okay” The raven asked, concern evident in his tone.

Eren took a deep breath and began telling Levi the events of the previous night. The hands. The flames. The shadowy figure. 

Levi rubbed soothing circles on the back of his hand as he spoke. “I’m sorry you had to experience that. Why didn’t you call?” He asked softly. 

“I… I couldn’t.”

“Eren, if this about you worrying if you’re bothering me…” He trailed off.

“No, I-” 

“Then what? You’ve had no problem reaching out when needed, so what changed?”

Eren sighed and looked away, voice just above a whisper. “Levi, please, can you just drop it for now?”

Levi studied the brunette, hoping an explanation would appear on his face, but luck was not on his side at that point in time.

“Alright, I won’t push you further right now, but Eren, you can’t keep going on like this.”

“I know, but I don’t know what else to do.” He responded, defeated. The pair sat in silence for a few moments.

Levi’s next words came out all in one breath. “Come stay with me for a while.” 

Eren’s eyes went wide when he heard the words through the man’s thin lips. “What?”

“You don’t want to involve your sister more than she already is, and it’s not healthy for you to go without sleep. This might even help us get closer to the root of the problem, and if something happens, I’d be right in the next room. If the idea makes you uncomfortable, by no means do you have to say yes, Eren.”

The brunette contemplated for a moment, waiting to see if Levi would take back what he said, but he didn’t. 

“If you’re sure, then yes, but what should I tell Mikasa? She’s a bit over protective, if you hadn’t noticed, but I’d need to tell her something.” He asked, chewing his bottom lip.

Levi hummed. “You could tell her you’ll be doing a sleep study. It’s not far from the truth.” 

Eren nodded in agreement. 

“If there’s nothing else you feel you need to talk about, I think we can be done for today. How about you go home and pack a bag, then meet me here for 5 pm when I’m off?” Levi suggested. 

“Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll see you in a bit, and thank you.” 

Eren left the office and made his way home, calling Mikasa while he walked. Surprisingly, she didn’t fight him as much as he thought she would. She actually thought it was a good idea, but made him promise to at least text her every day to let her know how he’s doing. 

When he arrived home, he packed about a week's worth of clothes, unsure of exactly how long he’d be staying with Levi. He had about an hour to kill before he had to head back to meet the man, so he decided to make himself a quick meal of ramen, too tired to cook anything else. 

After his meal, he made sure everything was turned off in his apartment and left, locking the door behind him. 

-

Once Levi made it outside after finishing his sessions for the day, he found the bright eyed boy waiting for him by his car, a travel bag down at his feet. A blinding smile lit up his face when he spotted the raven, almost knocking the breath right from Levi’s lungs. Even with all of the darkness surrounding him, it was as if he was emanating pure sunshine, and he was absolutely _ beautiful _ . 

“Levi, hey! How was the rest of work?” The brunette asked as he climbed into the passenger side of the car. 

“It was good, actually. How about you, brat? Do you have everything you need?” Turning the key in the ignition, the engine roared to life and then they were on their way back to Levi’s place.

“It was fine, and yes, I may have packed a bit too much, but I wasn’t exactly sure how much I’d need.” He replied sheepishly, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

Levi noticed the nervous habit immediately. “Relax, Eren. We’ll figure this out as we go. Together.”

“ _ Together. _ ” Eren whispered with a small smile. 

They arrived at their destination shortly. Levi sent Eren straight to the spare bedroom to get settled while he started preparing dinner for the two of them. It had been a long day for the both of them, so Levi prepared a simple yet delicious chicken caesar salad for dinner. As he began plating the food, he saw the messy brown mop of hair come around the corner.

“Right on time, brat.” He said as he handed Eren a plate of food. He received a quiet ‘thanks’ and a smile in return. Once seated at the table, they ate with little chatter, a slight awkwardness hanging in the air. 

After they finished their meals, Eren offered to clean up. Levi let him, but leaned against the counter while he did so, directing him on how to properly wash, dry and where to put the freshly cleaned dishes. Everything had a place in his house, and he had to make sure it stayed that way. 

It was nearing 9 o’clock, and both men were now clearly feeling the full effects of their days. They took turns getting ready for bed, with Levi going first at Eren’s insistence. When the brunette finished his nightly routine, he headed for the guest room, Levi following behind him. 

“Do you have everything you need?”

Eren awkwardly pulled at his clothes and nodded. 

“Remember, I’m in the next room if you need anything. Don’t hesitate to come to me, okay?”

“Yes, thank you, Levi.” The raven nodded and stood there for another moment before saying a rushed goodnight and going into his own room, leaving the door slightly ajar. Eren smiled at that. He left his door slightly open as well, turned off the lights, and climbed into bed, sleep finally taking him.

Before he knew it, the sun was peeking through the blinds, rousing the brunette from a surprisingly peaceful slumber. He still had a couple of visions throughout the night, but nothing scarring. Glancing at the clock beside the bed, he noticed that it was only 5:30AM. 

The house was still silent, so he slipped out of bed and headed to the kitchen. He’d peeked into Levi’s room on his way and saw his sleeping figure still taking up residence in the large bed. He knew that the man needed to be at work in a couple of hours, and also that he was supposedly an early riser, so he quickly but quietly went about the kitchen, searching for the ingredients he needed. 

He’d decided that he would make french toast for breakfast as a small thank you… and maybe he wanted to try to impress Levi  _ just _ a bit. 

Once all of the ingredients were laid out, he got to work on the toast, slicing up some fruit to use as toppings in between cooking. As he was finishing up the last two pieces, he saw an adorably sleepy looking raven come into the kitchen. 

“What’s all this?” Levi asked as he started preparing himself a cup of earl grey tea.

“French toast.”

“Yes, I see that, but why?”

Eren smiled sheepishly and started fixing two plates, leaving the toppings off of Levi’s so he could decide what he wanted. “I wanted to make breakfast for you.” 

Levi sipped his tea, staring confusedly at the younger man before him. “Eren, the offer of you staying here doesn’t come with conditions, so don’t feel like you need to go all out for me. I don’t-”

“Levi, I know. I was already up and decided to seize the opportunity, but now I’m realizing that I don’t even know if you like french toast? Maybe I shouldn’t hav-”

It was Levi’s turn to cut him off now. “It smells delicious. I really do appreciate it, I'm sorry. I was just worried that I somehow made you feel pressured into doing things like this for me. Come on, brat. Let’s eat.”

As Levi began topping his french toast with a heaping pile of strawberries, bananas and syrup, he wasn’t unaware of the soft smile that the beautiful brunette was directing his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you for reading! Let me know what you think and I’ll see you next time! <3


	8. Pull Me In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Routines, improvements and confessions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I’m back with another update for you all! Sorry it’s been a bit since my last, but I hope this chapter makes up for it. 
> 
> Sadly, I do have to inform you it will probably take me longer to update for the next little while. I’ve been insanely busy with work, and I’m moving next month, so I have a ton of stuff to do and little time to do it. Don’t worry though, I won’t forget about this story, or all of you reading this. 
> 
> Anyway, read on! <3

A couple of days had passed since Levi invited Eren into his home. Now that the initial awkwardness had passed, things were going quite smoothly. Surprisingly, Eren’s visions had slowed immensely, with only a minor one occurring here and there, but they didn’t disrupt his sleep too much. Levi had even commented positively on his appearance, which definitely  _ did not  _ leave him blushing like a school girl. 

The pair had unspokenly developed a routine as the days went on. If Eren woke up first, which he normally did, he would cook a simple breakfast for the two of them and prepare a cup of tea for Levi. The raven would leave for work no later than 7:45AM and by the time Eren finished up at his own job around 6PM, Levi would have dinner already cooking.

After dinner, they shared cleanup duty. Levi would wash the dishes and Eren took care of drying and putting them away. Once everything was clean, Levi would make a cup of tea for himself, and a cup of hot chocolate for Eren, which they would then take to the couch and watch a movie or a couple of episodes of one of the TV series they had started.

Sometimes, they would fall asleep on the couch together, Eren leaning against him. If Levi woke up in the middle of the night, he never had the heart to wake the brunette, who was finally sleeping peacefully, so he’d grab the blanket off the back of the couch and cover them up. They never spoke of it in the morning. 

It was now Friday, and Eren was currently helping Hanji bathe a rather rambunctious husky. After a lot of struggle and laughter, they managed to finish up and returned him to her very happy, yet apologetic, owner. 

Hanji turned to Eren and burst out into another fit of laughter. “Oh man, that dog was a hoot! You look like someone tried to drown you!” 

Eren turned to the window to get a glimpse of his appearance, which he then joined Hanji in laughing. “Okay, yeah, but you don’t look much better!”

“That’s where you’re wrong, sweetie! I rock this look.” 

“Yeah, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night, Hanji.” He retorted, jokingly rolling his eyes at her. He walked over to the appointment book to see who was left for the day. There were two dogs left to groom, both smaller breeds.

“Speaking of sleeping, you’ve been looking a lot better lately, Eren. I take it Short Stack’s sleep study has been helping?” 

He nodded. “Yeah, I’ve actually been managing to sleep with minor disturbances.” 

A wide grin took over her face and she looked through the appointment book over his shoulder. “Go home for the day. It’s the weekend and you deserve to actually enjoy it for once.”

He checked the time on his phone. It was only 2PM and he wasn’t supposed to finish his shift for another four hours. “No, it’s okay. I can stay.”

She stepped in closer, becoming face to face with him, nosing almost touching. “Eren. Go.” 

Well, he wasn’t going to argue with the woman. “Okay, okay, I will. Thank you. Enjoy your weekend” He said as he grabbed his things and raced out the door. He decided to call Mikasa for his daily check in on his way back to Levi’s. She was pleased to hear that Hanji had said he looked better and asked if he could come see her soon, to which he said he would try to make plans in a few days. 

Levi wasn’t going to be home for another two hours, so he decided that he would do a deep clean of the house. He knew how much the raven valued cleanliness and he felt bad that he’d been taking up so much of his time lately. He grabbed all of the cleaning supplies, put on some music and got to work, starting with the bathroom. 

Eren was currently on his hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor. There was a pesky mark in a corner between the stove and the sink that he was reaching forward to scrub when he heard the clearing of a throat. He hastily turned around, throwing the rag in his fright, and saw a slightly red faced Levi standing in the entrance of the kitchen. 

“Levi, _ fuck _ , you scared me! I thought you weren’t going to be back until five!”

“It’s just past five, you brat. What are you doing?”

Shock crossed the brunette’s face. Had he really been cleaning for the two hours? It didn’t feel like much time had passed at all. “I must have lost track of time, sorry. I was just cleaning. I wanted to have everything nice for when you got back.”

If the raven wasn’t blushing before, he sure as hell was now. “You didn’t have to do that, but thank you. I’d say things are  _ almost  _ up to my standards.” He replied in a playful tone.

“Oh, shut up.” Eren responded cheekily, to which the older man raised an eyebrow to. 

“How about you take a shower while I start dinner?” 

Eren nodded, starting to gather the cleaning supplies to put it away.

“Is chicken stir fry fine with you?” Levi asked..

“Yes, thank you!” He walked to the closet and placed the supplies back where he found it, then grabbed a change of clothes before heading for the shower.

By the time Levi had the chicken cooking in the pan and had begun to chop up the veggies, Eren emerged from the bathroom, taking a seat at the island. He rested his chin on his folded hands and watched as the raven moved around the kitchen. Even in everyday mundane activities, the man moved with such grace and with an air of authority around him. 

Levi glanced up at the brunette, noticing that he’d been uncharacteristically silent these last few minutes, to find the man already watching him. A pink blush appeared on tanned cheeks after realizing he’d been caught staring, but he didn’t look away. 

“What?” Levi asked, returning his attention to the carrot he was chopping. 

“Nothing, I just… I like seeing you like this.” 

Levi turned his gaze back to Eren, a perplexed expression on his face. “What do you mean? You don’t have some weird carrot or knife fetish, do you, brat?”

Eren laughed at the joke, then started to chew on his lower lip. He was contemplating his next words, wondering if he should say them or not, but honesty was the best policy, right? Besides, he wasn’t sure he could come up with a good cover for what he’d just blurted. 

“I just… I like seeing you in your own environment, completely calm and relaxed. No walls or facade in place. It’s a side of you that I know not many people get to see… and I’m happy that I get to be one of them.” 

Levi peeked up at him through his bangs. “Why?”

“Are you seriously asking?” Eren was taken aback by the question.

The look of confusion overtook his features. “Yes. I’m nothing special, Eren.” 

“Are you fucking kidding me right now? The way you care so deeply for those around you is special. The way you make shit - and I mean _literal_ shit jokes funny is special... And the way you make my heart practically _beat out of my chest_ is special. You’re the fucking _definition_ of special, Levi.”

Levi froze part way through Eren’s confession. He responded hesitantly, not daring to look up yet. “Do you really feel that way?”

He heard the brunette curse under his breath. “Yes, I really do. I know I shouldn’t have said anything, but you deserve to know how wonderful you are. Someone as great as you shouldn’t doubt that. I know it’s just me, so you can forget about my feelings for you, but _please_ don’t forget about everything else I said.”

_ Is he really going to do this?  _

Levi set the knife down and made his way around the island, stopping in front of the younger man. He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t second guess himself. He gently cupped the right side of the brunette’s face and kissed him, soft and sweet. “It’s not just you.”

Eren slowly opened his eyes, a dazed expression on his face. “What?”

“I said, it’s not just you, idiot. I shouldn’t be doing this. This shouldn’t be happening, but I can’t help it. _ It’s not just you _ .”

The brunette released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, letting a smile grow across his lips. The raven returned his smile with one of his own, and reached for his hand. Eren entwined their fingers and looked up to meet a pair of silvery orbs. “So… what happens now?”

Levi hummed. “We take things slow. One day at a time, but without ignoring or hiding our feelings. How does that sound to you?”

Eren squeezed his hand and nodded. “That sounds perfect.”

The older man granted him another soft smile before letting go of his hand to go finish up dinner, content to let the brunette watch him. 

Honestly, he had no idea what he was doing, but he knew that his feeling towards the man in front of him had been developing into more for a while now. 

He knew that Eren was a patient of his, and that this was wrong on _ so _ many levels, but this was different.  _ Eren  _ was different. He had never felt such strong emotions towards someone before, so who was he to deny what was right in front of him?

“So, now that we have all that out of the way, how long were you staring at my ass when I was cleaning the floor earlier before letting me know you were there?”

Eren didn’t manage to dodge the wet dish cloth thrown at his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Thank you so much for reading and leaving me comments. Let me know what you think! I hope to see you all soon. <3


	9. Come to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things with Eren take a slight turn, but Levi is there to pull him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm so sorry for being gone for so long. Life has been hectic between moving, work and getting a new pet! I haven't forgotten about this story, and I hope you all haven't either. Updates are still going to be slow, but I want to make sure you know that I'm still actively working on this whenever I have a chance. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

When dinner was finished, he served up two portions and set them on the table. They ate in comfortable silence, the only words being from Eren complementing his cooking. After they finished eating, the brunette insisted on doing the dishes while the raven took a shower. 

The pair settled onto the couch afterwards, watching a couple of episodes of a comedy show, enjoying each other's company. At around 9 pm, they two grew tired and decided to retire to their rooms. 

Before Eren shut the bedroom door, he leaned forward and gave Levi a quick hug, whispering a quiet ‘goodnight’ in his ear. The action took him by surprise, but he returned it nonetheless, uttering a small goodnight of his own before heading off to his own room. 

His insomnia was particularly acting up that night. He lay tossing and turning for what felt like hours, but all had been quiet from the other room. 

Perhaps this arrangement would work. 

Perhaps all Eren needed was to know that he had someone he deemed ‘safe’ nearby. 

Perhaps... he spoke too _soon._

  
  


-

  
  


**_Red._ **

_Everything was red._

_The ravenous flames licking at his skin, etching familiar words into his flesh. Time is ticking. No escape. You’re mine._

_The creature wrapped around him, biting down repeatedly. All teeth, dripping with blood._

_The fear was too great. The pain was too much._ **_Time was ticking_ ** _._

_He didn’t know how to get out. He couldn’t get out… so he screamed..._

_And screamed._

_And_ **_screamed._ **

_-_

A deafening cry cut through the silence of the night. Blood curdling and full of fear. 

Throwing the blankets back, Levi raced into the guest bedroom where Eren was taking up residence. His heart was pounding, unsure of what he was about to walk into. He hurled the door open, revealing the brunette thrashing on the bed, but it looked as if he was being held down.

The raven knelt down beside the bed and called out to the man, trying to wake him. _Nothing._

He gripped Eren’s shoulders and tried to shake him awake. His body was hot to the touch, as if he were burning from the inside out.

Standing up, he quickly moved onto the bed, covering the brunette’s body with his own, doing his best to cease his writhing. He began stroking the soft, chocolate hair, whispering reassurances in his ear. 

-

_The flames were getting hotter. Closer._

_The creature’s grip was growing tighter. Bone crushing._

_It was as if his screams were feeding everything around him, growing their strength, but he couldn’t stop._

_He couldn’t focus on anything other than the fear and the pain… until a faint voice cut through the madness._

_“I’m here.”_

_The flames began to dwindle as a brilliant light started to cut through the shadows._

_“I’ve got you.”_

_The creatures grip loosened, an ear piercing screech tearing out of its throat. Blade-like claws reached out for him, but he was already too far into the light._

_“Come back to me, Eren.”_

_Levi?_

_The red faded to black._

-

The man beneath him stilled. Levi pulled away slightly, worriedly studying Eren’s face. He watched as the expression of fear faded, slowly but surely. 

He watched as dry, plump lips parted, whispers of his own name falling past them.

He watched as tear filled green eyes opened to stare into his, relief washing over his features.

“L-Levi?”

A small smile overtook the raven haired man's face. “Yes, I’m here. You’re okay. I’ve got you.”

Immediately, he was enveloped by trembling arms, tears falling onto his naked shoulder. He couldn’t do anything but hold Eren tighter and soothingly run his fingers through his hair. 

He wasn’t sure how long they stayed there, but Eren eventually managed to calm down. Levi gently removed himself from the hold. “Are you okay?”

Eren let out a choked laugh.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No… not yet, at least.”

Levi nodded. “Do you want me to stay?” He asked tentatively.

Eren shook his head. “Can I… can we sleep in your room?” He wanted to be somewhere safe and familiar, and although he’d never seen the man’s room, being completely surrounded by everything Levi would be enough.

His expression softened. In response, he grabbed Eren’s tanned hand and pulled them both off the bed. “Come on, then.”

He led the bright eyed boy into his room and tucked him into his side of the bed. Walking over to his dresser, he pulled out a loose fitting t-shirt and pulled it on before moving to climb into the other side of the bed. The moonlight slipped through the curtains, beautifully illuminating the man before him. He watched as Eren pulled the blankets up to his nose, inhaling Levi’s scent. 

“Thank you.” A small voice rang throughout the room.

“For what?”

“For being here. For being you.”

Levi smiled, hoping the darkness hid the pink blush invading his pale cheeks. “I’ll always be here.”

A few moments of silence passed. Every now and again, he could feel Eren’s body twitch. Sensing his hesitance, he scooted forward, taking the brunette into his arms. Almost immediately, he felt the tension seep from his body and he snuggled further into Levi, finally falling into a dreamless slumber. The raven stayed awake for a while, running his fingers through tangled locks and trailing feather light touches along the tanned arm currently wrapped around his middle. He’d do whatever he could to ensure nothing else disturbed Eren tonight.

-

Sunlight started to fill the room through the partially cracked blinds. Levi scrunched his eyes and ran a hand over his face. Flicking his eyes over to the alarm clock on his bedside table, he discovered it was just past 6 AM. 

He didn’t remember falling asleep last night. Glancing down, he saw Eren still wrapped tightly around him. His back was starting to ache from being in this position for what he assumed was at least a couple of hours. Being as gentle as he could, he tried to maneuver the sleeping boy so that he could get into a more comfortable position. 

“Mm… Levi?” Eren mumbled sleepily. 

“ _Shit,_ I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. Go back to sleep. It’s okay.” He reassured softly.

Eren opened one eye to look at the raven, clearly still too tired to do more than that. “Are you getting up?”

“No, I just needed to switch positions. My back was starting to ache. I was trying not to wake you.”

A sleepy chuckle escaped the brunette. “Careful, your age is showing.”

“You little shit. Come here.” Levi responded, a tone of affection clear in his voice. He pulled the younger man into his chest and wrapped his arms around him protectively, loving how perfectly he fit to his body. 

“You know, I never would have pegged you for a big spoon.”

“Fine then.” The older man huffed out a laugh and started to move away. 

Eren immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him back, lacing their fingers together. “I never said I didn’t like it. Now let me sleep.” 

If every morning with him was going to be like this, Levi never wanted to let the spunky brunette go. He placed a gentle kiss to the nape of Eren’s neck, receiving a light press of lips to his hand in return, sleep taking them soon after once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is! I'm a sucker for some good ol' fluff. Let me know what you thought and as always, thanks for reading! (:

**Author's Note:**

> And there we have it! First chapter complete! I have a lot of this pre-written, but updates will be slow due to my every day life. I will try for every week or so! 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading!


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